Hopper-bottom.



HOPPER. BOTTOM.

APPUCATIQN ELLED SEPT. H, mm.

Patemed Dec. 24:, 1918.

Arv n FREDERICK E. CARE, OF HERCULES, CALIFORNIA.

HOPPER-BOTTOM.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2a, 1918.

Application filed September 17, 1918. Serial No. 254,425.

v To all whom it may concern: 1

' Be it known that I, FREDERICK E. CARR,

a citizen of the Hercules, in the county State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hopper-Bottoms, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to provide improved means for discharging from a hopper onto a belt so as to avoid wear on the belt, solid material such as niter, most of which is in .a pulverulent condition, but containing also small lumps.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a similar view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an adjustable hopper bottom.

Referring to the drawing, No.- 1 indicates United States, residing at the upper portion of an endless traveling belt or conveyer, movlng in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig; 1, upon which nitrate or other substance most of which is in a pulverulent condition, but containing also small lumps, is to er 2. Said hopper comprises side walls, of which lower portions 3 extend vertically and parallel with each other, while-upper portions 4 diverge upwardly. I Said side walls 3 are connected in front by a vertical front wall 5, and also by an oblique front wall 6, of which the upper edge joins the front wall 5, below its top, said oblique wall 6 expanding in width upwardly so that its side edges are in contact with the diverging portions 4 of the side walls. Said hopper also comprises an upper oblique back wall 7, extending upwardly from the level at which the side walls 3 begin to flare and diverging upwardly from the front wall 5,

and a vertical tudinal edges 12 of an adjustable hopper bottom 13, the rear end of said bottom be-' of Contra Costa and be discharged from a hopback wall 8 at the lowest portion of the hopper and spaced from the back ing bent downwardly, as shown. at 14, to form a lip by which said bottom can rea ily be ad usted by sliding it longitudinally in the guide ways.

The friction between the margins 10 and 12 is sufliciently great to hold the bottom 13 in any position to which it has been ad-' justed. If the niter or other material is dry, the bottom should be adjusted by moving it downwardly, but if it is damp, so as to be liable to contain small lumps, the bottom should be drawn upwardly. In all cases, however, the inclination of the bottom to the belt should remain the same,

In order to prevent the niter or other material dropping directly downward upon the traveling belt in case the adjustable bot- .tom should be drawn as far back or up wardly as the rear wall 8, there is attached to the front of said rear wall, and below the adjustable bottom, a fixed guide 21, which so guides the niter. or other material as to prevent it from striking the belt in a direction opposed to that of its traveling movement.

The front wall 5 depends almost into contact with the endless belt 1 and in its bottom edge is formed a recess 16 having a rounded top. Attached, as shown at 17, to the side walls 3 and back wall 8 is an iron band 18. The lower edge of/said band extends in close proximity with the endless belt 1. Around said lower edge is a rubber strip 19, the lower edge of which extends in close proximity to the endless belt 1.

The rubber strip 19 prevents wear upon the belt which will be caused by the impact thereof on the lower edge of the hopper due to a short vertical reciprocatory movement of the upper portion of the belt, consequent by its rapid forward movement. By providing a strip of rubber around the lower edge of the hopper this wear is prevented. The iron band 18 is provided as a convenient means for securing said strip of rubber around said lower edge, and also, for enabling the strip to extend forward in front of the wall of the hopper.

The advantage of my improved construction is that thereby the fall of the material onto the belt or conveyer is avoided and the material simply slides onto the conveyer and does not fall onto it, thus saving much wear of the conveyer belt due to the battering of said belt by the'falling of'the material onto, it. The material slides onto the cona substituted. 1

- v 1. In combination with an veyer so easily that even a guard is seldom needed, and only in cases of emergency.

The guide 21 is-made. removable, so that, when worn. out by being used when the bottom 13 is withdrawn, a new guide can be I claim} I upwardly traveling conveyer belt, and a hopper body, a,

downwardly sloping bottom for said body,

slidably adjustable to and from said belt and making an obtuse inner angle therewith.

2.- In combination with a-n upwardly travelingconveyer belt, a hopper body, a downwardly sloping bottom for said bod-y,.slidably adjustable to and from said belt and making an obtuse inner angle therewithand stationary resilient material at the sides of. the hopper having. alower edge parallel with, and adjacent traveling belt. I a I 3. In'combination with an upwardly t'ravto, the upper face of the eling conveyer belt, a hopper bod a down- 25 wardly sloping bottom for said ody, slid-v ably adjustable to and from saidbelt and making an obtuse inner angle therewith and stationary resilient material at the sides of wardly the hopper having a. lower edge parallel with and adjacent to, the upper face of the traveling belt, and extending forwardly of the hopper. 1

4. In combination with an upwardly traveling conveyer belt, a hopper body, a downwardly sloping bottom or said body, slidabl adjustable to and from saidibelt and] ma ing an obtuse inner angle therewith, a

metal band: around the sides and back 'at the bottom of the hopper and extending forther'eof, and resilient material secured to said metal band and having a lower edge extending in close proximity to the belt transversely thereof at the rear and forwardly thereof and parallel with said' belt at the sides.

5. In combination with an upwardly travelmg conveyer belt,'a hopper body, a downwardly sloping bottom for said body, slidably adjustable to and from said belt and making an obtuse inner angle therewith, and

an obllque-fixed guide secured to the back wall of the hopper below the adjustable bottom and directed downwardly toward thebelt. I v I FREDERICK. E. CARR. 

